American Panda

This month, I wanted to shine a special spotlight on books that you might have on your “To Be Read List” but deserve to be in that “Must-Read Pile” just the same. Today’s selection is a humorous twist on parental expectations which sheds light on a different culture: American Panda by Gloria Chao. With everything her parents have sacrificed to make her cushy life a reality, Mei can’t bring herself to tell them the truth–that she (1) hates germs, (2) falls asleep in biology lectures, and (3) has a crush on her classmate Darren Takahashi, who is decidedly not Taiwanese. But when Mei reconnects with her brother, Xing, who is estranged from the family for dating the wrong woman, Mei starts to wonder if all the secrets are truly worth it. Can she find a way to be herself, whoever that is, before her web of lies unravels?